£35m Oval plan go-ahead

A £35million scheme to turn the Brit Oval cricket ground into a world-class sports venue will go ahead.

The project, approved by Lambeth council last year, was on hold after the Health and Safety Executive raised concerns about the site's proximity to the famous Kennington gasometers.

But today, following a public inquiry, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government said it posed no safety risk.

Work can now start on the home of Surrey County Cricket Club to demolish the Lock, Laker and Peter May stands and replace them with a new grandstand, seating an extra 1,632 people and taking the ground's total capacity to just under 25,000.

The Surrey Tavern will also be knocked down to create a piazza and open up the pavilion as the visible face of the cricket club.

There will also be a 168-bed four-star hotel on site.